“Now [ex-New York City mayor] Ed Koch, who I respect and love, he said ‘It’s a great house,’ Bloomberg said. “It is a great house. I just disagree with him. It’s a great house for everybody, not for one family.”

As it stands, the mayor appreciates and takes pride in the fact that city agencies and non-profit organizations hold gatherings there.

“It should be used as we use it now,” Bloomberg said. “There are events every day at Gracie Mansion throughout the whole house. If a mayor’s family is living there, then most of that house — a good half of it — is just not available. If a mayor lives there, then what they’re doing is costing this city a lot more money and depriving the rest of the city of one of the great facilities any city has.”

As Bloomberg put it plainly, it’s simply wrong to take one of the great houses in New York from the public.

Do you agree with Bloomberg? If you were the mayor, would you set up shop at Gracie Mansion? Sound off with your comments below…